We cannot win by playing an eternal game of “whack-a-drug”, without addressing the underlying societal ills driving substance abuse and addiction. Responding to a substance abuse epidemic by taking opioids away from those in chronic pain simply creates an epidemic of undertreated chronic pain.

Strict implementation of 2016 CDC opioid guidelines has resulted in widespread undertreatment of chronic pain, and even the CDC is now admitting that their recommendations have been misinterpreted and misused.

CBD, passionflower and corydalis are herbal medicines that research studies show can reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. Discovering these options has transformed my practice and I wish other doctors knew about them too.

A recent Chinese study discovered that the CBD’s neuroprotection is due to its effects on mitochondria, the furnaces that produce energy in our cells. And this means CBD might be able to help mitochondrial function in other conditions like fibromyalgia, too.

While there have been no studies that looked at CBD specifically for fibromyalgia, we can review the science of how CBD works in the body generally, and the research that has been done on its medicinal effects in both humans and animals.

We cannot win by playing an eternal game of “whack-a-drug”, without addressing the underlying societal ills driving substance abuse and addiction. Responding to a substance abuse epidemic by taking opioids away from those in chronic pain simply creates an epidemic of undertreated chronic pain.

Strict implementation of 2016 CDC opioid guidelines has resulted in widespread undertreatment of chronic pain, and even the CDC is now admitting that their recommendations have been misinterpreted and misused.

CBD, passionflower and corydalis are herbal medicines that research studies show can reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. Discovering these options has transformed my practice and I wish other doctors knew about them too.

Both Kratom and Cannabis have demonstrated ability to reduce pain, but since your doctor may not be comfortable or able to talk to you about their use, it is important to do all the research you can yourself.

Many patients with fibromyalgia report benefit from cannabis (medical marijuana), but until recently we did not have the studies to really back that up. We now have some real science and in this article I will break down the research for you